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OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0641/01 1051007
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141007Z APR 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1190
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEADWD/DA WASHINGTON DC//DAS-ZD/DACS-ZK//
RUEAHQA/CSAF WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
RHMFIUU/CMC WASHINGTON DC
RUENAAA/CNO WASHINGTON DC//POLAD//
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 7059
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4050
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3906
RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA 5404
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 3814
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2379

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 JERUSALEM 000641 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS BBG 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM 
NSC FOR ABRAMS 
CMC WASHINGTON DC FOR POLAD 
 
JERUSALEM ALSO FOR ICD 
LONDON FOR HKANONA AND POL - TSOU 
PARIS ALSO FOR POL 
ROME FOR MFO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KMDR KPAL KWBG KPAO IS
SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (04/14):  OLMERT: CHECKPOINTS ARE 
LIKE PRESTO PRESSURE COOKERS 
 
------------- 
Main Stories: 
------------- 
The April 13 meeting between Palestinian President Abbas and Israeli 
Prime Minister Olmert is front page news in all dailies.  The papers 
report that the leaders discussed the blockade of Gaza, a possible 
comprehensive truce and final status issues.  WAFA news agency 
reports that chief PLO negotiator Sa'eb Erakat confirmed that Abbas 
asked Olmert during the meeting to allow the implementation of 
Egyptian measures to restore calm to the Gaza Strip.  Erekat added 
that Abbas is exerting every effort to prevent "the impending 
disaster in the Gaza Strip," the papers report. In another official 
Palestinian statement from April 11, Palestinian Authority spokesman 
Abu Rudaynah predicted that "the region will experience a very hot 
summer," if Israel continues to postpone a [peace] agreement based 
on Annapolis." 
 
Front page reports about electricity and oil shortages in Gaza 
continue from the weekend in all dailies.  Al Quds and Al-Ayyam lead 
with an AFP photo of an ill, wheel-chair bound elderly woman 
strapped atop a donkey cart rolling towards a Gaza hospital.  April 
13 coverage in all papers blamed the Israeli blockade of Gaza and 
"escalating" military operations for the Strip's troubles and noted 
statements by UNRWA Commissioner General Abu Zaid who met with 
Palestinian President Abbas.  Al Hayat Al-Jadida headlined on April 
13 that, "UNRWA states:  The people of Gaza face a tremendous 
shortage of basic necessities."  Al Quds' headline from the same day 
read, "Palestinian factions warn of explosion in Gaza" and all 
papers took note of popular protests by Gazans calling for unity and 
a, "lifting of the Gaza siege."  Other front-page Gaza reporting 
highlights the killing of two Palestinians and injuring of two 
others on April 13 in a "mysterious" explosion in Jabalia refugee 
camp in northern Gaza Strip. 
 
Palestinian President Abbas's intention to chair the next meeting of 
Palestinian ministers on April 14 is welcomed with positive coverage 
in all dailies.  The front pages report that the unusual move to 
chair the meeting shows the great confidence that Abbas feels for 
Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad.  The dailies also report that 
Abbas will begin a foreign tour to Jordan, Moscow and Washington on 
April 14. 
 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida's front page announces the April 14 signing 
ceremony between the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) 
and the Palestine Investment Fund in Ramallah.  The report notes 
that the ceremony is expected to launch a loan program worth $500 
million for home mortgages to support affordable housing for 
Palestinians.  Al Quds and Al Ayyam carry similar coverage on their 
inside economic pages. 
 
In news on security cooperation, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida juxtaposes a 
lead photo of Israeli soldiers during an April 13 incursion into 
Hebron with a photo of Palestinian President Abbas and American 
Middle East security envoy US General Jones at their April 13 
meeting in Ramallah.  The larger Hebron photo shows a Palestinian 
boy standing spread-eagle, facing a stone wall with one Israeli 
soldier patting him down and a second training his automatic weapon 
on the boy.  The second front page photo shows Abbas and Jones 
seated in a presidential office and introduces factual reporting 
about the meeting in which Abbas briefed the American general on, 
"the latest developments in the Palestinian Territories, including 
Palestinian Authority efforts to move the peace process forward." 
 
Related security reporting highlights the April 13 graduation 
 
JERUSALEM 00000641  002 OF 004 
 
 
ceremony of Palestinian Security Forces in Amman on Al Quds' front 
page.  Giving a positive spin to the event, the paper runs a photo 
of disciplined security forces marching in formation and notes that 
US General Dayton and Palestinian security forces advisor Haj Ismael 
were in attendance.  Al-Quds also reports that National Security 
Advisor Steven Hadley and [mistakenly] US General Fraser will soon 
arrive in the region to prepare for the May visit of President Bush. 
 
 
Clashes between Palestinian security forces and "citizens" in Balata 
refugee camp in the West Bank town of Nablus on April 13 garner 
front page coverage in all dailies.  The papers run photos of a 
flaming vehicle belonging to Nablus Governor, Jamal Mheisin who was 
attacked while visiting the camp to attend a celebration honoring 
orphans.  The stories report that camp residents exchanged fire with 
the Governor's guards before setting the vehicle afire.  In a 
subsequent press conference, the Governor stated that, "there will 
be no immediate response [to the attack], and the guilty parties 
will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."  Front pages on 
April 12 reported an incursion by Israeli military forces into 
Nablus. 
 
A positive tone greets news about an agreement between the 
Palestinian public employees union and the Palestinian Government 
regarding recent strikes.  The front page of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and 
inside pages of Al Quds and Al Ayyam report that the Government and 
union officials have agreed to a mechanism for resolving labor 
disputes, "in a manner which causes the least possible harm to 
anyone."  April 13 front page coverage in all dailies, noted that 
union officials thanked Palestinian President Abbas for his efforts 
to resolve the labor dispute. 
 
The front pages of Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam report that "Israeli Shin 
Bet Security Services admitted on April 13 that the Israeli army is 
arresting relatives of Palestinian political prisoners and 
interrogating them in order to extract confessions from the 
detainees."  The dailies cite a report in the Israeli daily Haaretz. 
 
 
The visit by Israeli Foreign Minister Livni to Qatar in conjunction 
with the Democracy Forum and her meetings with Qatari officials is 
front page news in all dailies.  Al-Quds carries a photo showing a 
relaxed Qatari Prime Minister "joking with Livni." 
 
--------------- 
Weekend stories 
--------------- 
Sunday, April 13 
 
The dailies reported on clashes between Fatah and Hamas students at 
Hebron University in the West Bank on April 12.  According to 
reports, the university administration has ended the disturbances 
that began over the distribution of "provocative" flyers by both 
groups in which they traded insults. 
 
Saturday, April 12 
 
Black and red banner headlines dominated front pages' reporting on 
the killing of nine Gazans on April 11.  Photos of dead bodies and 
injured persons and of women and children running for cover from the 
"Israeli attacks" led the coverage in the dailies.  Related coverage 
in all papers reported that an Israeli soldier was injured during 
the "Israeli attacks".  Front pages also highlighted that 
Palestinian President Abbas called upon Hamas to "respect the 
 
JERUSALEM 00000641  003 OF 004 
 
 
relationship with Egypt, and refrain from involvement in regional 
[Iran] agendas".  Abbas also called upon Israel to stop its 
"collective punishment and end the siege on Gaza."  Meanwhile, the 
dailies recorded ominous statements by Hamas leader Al-Masri that, 
"if Gaza explodes, borders will not contain our people," adding 
that, "the siege must be lifted before it is too late." 
 
The front page of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reported that Israeli Premier 
Olmert explained in a closed meeting with Israeli military leaders 
that, "checkpoints are like presto pressure cookers that could 
explode at anytime and cause terrifying fires."  Olmert added 
"imagine [Palestinians' humiliation at being asked] to strip naked 
at checkpoints because there may be a terrorist among them." 
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida also reported on the findings of an April 11 UN 
report that, "the checkpoints which Israel has removed are not 
significant."  All dailies noted that the number of removed 
checkpoints is, "even fewer than what Rice promised." 
 
Former US president Carter will go ahead with his regional visit and 
meetings, according to Al Ayyam's front page.  The same report 
stated that Secretary Rice called the meetings "useless."  Meanwhile 
the front pages of Al-Quds and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reported that US 
presidential hopeful Barak Obama commented that Israel should make 
changes on the ground that secure the establishment of a viable 
Palestinian state. 
 
------------ 
BLOCK QUOTES: 
------------ 
¶1.  Independent Al-Quds opens its editorial page with, "Boycotting 
Carter and opening doors for Livni!" (04/14): "On her way to Qatar 
to address the Democracy Forum held in Doha, Israeli Foreign 
Minister Livni called upon Arab countries to normalize relations 
with Israel in order to encourage Palestinians to embrace peace. 
Her comments came at the same time as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud 
Olmert and [former premier and Likud leader] Netanyahu decided to 
boycott former American president Carter, refusing to meet with him 
during his visit to Israel... because Carter criticizes Israeli 
policies and... the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian 
Territories and because he intends to meet with the head of Hamas 
Khalid Masha'al.  So we find ourselves faced with the well-known 
scene where Arab capitals that have no peace treaty with Israel, 
open their doors to the Israeli Foreign Minister... while Israel 
boycotts the former American president who made the most significant 
progress [towards peace] by getting the first peace agreement [with 
Egypt]s signed, [an agreement] that Israel never dreamed 
possible..." 
 
¶2.  Independent Al-Ayyam carries an op-ed by veteran columnist Ali 
Jaradat entitled, "towards a political upheaval that has 
implications for the region" (04/14):  "it is clear without a doubt 
that the Middle East generally, and the Arabic region specifically 
is heading for a political upheaval with major implications. 
American and the Israeli policy play a role in this, especially in 
determining the general direction of the upheaval.  Many observers 
and analysts agree that this part of the world is sitting on top of 
a volcano that is about to explode.  This is for many reasons... 1) 
the on-going Arab-Israeli conflict whose core is the Palestinian 
cause... 2) rising national Iranian ambitions, including the 
ambition to be a nuclear power and play a major role in the 
region... at the expense of American-Israeli control of the 
region... 3) the failed Israeli military venture in Lebanon in 2006 
that has prompted internal Israeli crises... Israeli leaders see the 
solution [to the crises] in more wars and attacks." 
 
JERUSALEM 00000641  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
Walles